Nickname:
For a brief period, the new AFL team was known as the Senors but by the time
the 1960 season started, the Oakland team was known as the Raiders. The origin
of the Raiders name is not known. It was most likely chosen by principal owner
Chet Soda and his partners.

Coach: Jack Del Rio 2015-

Stadium:
Oakland Alameda Coliseum 1995-

Historical Moments:

1960: Originally slated to play in Minnesota the AFL's eighth original franchise was forced
to look for another home after a deal with Minnesota fell through. After briefly
flirting with Atlanta it was decided to put the new team in the Bay Area.
The Oakland Raiders, led by Coach Eddie Erdelatz played their first game ever
at San Francisco's Kezar Stadium on September 11th where they lost to the Houston
Oilers by a score of 37-22. Two weeks later in a rematch at Houston the Raiders
got their first win by a score of 14-13. The Raiders would finish their first
season in financial peril with a 6-8 record.
1961: After losing their first two games by a combined score of 99-0 Eddie Erdelatz is
fired and replaced by Marty Feldman. Under Feldman the Raiders would not do much
better winning just twice on the way to a woeful 2-12 season.
1962: After playing their first two seasons in San Francisco stadiums (Kezar Stadium and
Candlestick Park), the Raiders finally find a home in Oakland, as they agree
to play in a converted high school stadium named after an undertaker Frank Youell
Field. However, the change of address did not help as they lost their first
five games before Coach Marty Feldman is fired. Under his replacement Red Conkright
the Raiders would continue to struggle losing their next eight before beating
the Boston Patriots 20-0 in Oakland in the season finale to finish with an
awful 1-13 record.
1963: The Raiders hire San Diego Chargers assistant Al Davis as their new Coach and General
Manager. His first move is to give the team a new look, as they take the field
in silver and black uniforms. The new look would work wonders as the Raiders
won their first game over the Oilers in Houston 24-13. The Raiders would also
win their 2nd game a week later, but a four game losing streak would quickly
have them crashing back to earth. However, the Raiders would recover and would
win their last eight games to finish with a 10-4 record, as Clem Daniels rushed
for 1,099 yards. However, the Raiders would have to settle for second place, despite
sweeping the first place San Diego Chargers. 1964: The Raiders stumble out of the gate losing their first five games. With all hopes
of the playoffs gone the Raiders would play solid football the rest of the way
only losing two of their remaining nine games to finish with a 5-7-2 record.1965: In their final season of football at Frank Youell Field the Raiders play solid football
most of the season and compile an 8-5-1 record, good enough for second place
in the AFL West. Following the season Coach Al Davis would depart to take
of the post of AFL Commissioner. Davis would be replaces by John Rauch as Coach.
1966: Al Davis would have a short three month tenure as AFL commissioner, but his actions
helped cause earth shattering changes to the landscape of pro-football. Taking
office in April Davis had gotten half of the NFL's top Quarterbacks to agree
to join the NFL. This forced the NFL to once and for all view the AFL as a legitimate
league, and led to a merger, that would bring both leagues together with
a common draft and a year-end championship game. Davis would resign in July and
return to the front office of the Raiders, as the AFL had become part of the
NFL. After splitting their first two games at home the Raiders opened the new
state of the art Oakland Alameda County Coliseum with a 32-10 loss to the Kansas
City Chiefs before a crowd of 50,746. The Raiders would have another solid season
but could not do better than second place with an 8-5-1 record.
1967: Prior to the start of the season the Raiders acquire Quarterback Daryle Lamonica
from the Buffalo Bills, for Tom Flores in a trade of single callers. Lamonica would
prove to be the final piece of the puzzle and he won the AFL Player of the
Year while passing for 3,228 yards and 30 Touchdown passes, as the Raiders dominated
the AFL on the way to a 13-1 season in which they roiled over opponents
by a score of 468-233. In the AFL Championship Game the Raiders continued to roll
destroying the Houston Oilers 40-7 at Oakland to advance to the AFL-NFL Championship
Game.Super Bowl II: In the second AFL-NFL Championship Game the Raiders faced the powerful Green Bay
Packers in Miami. The Packers came into the game knowing that Head Coach Vince
Lombardi was about top step down, and played their top level of football. A level
even at the top of their game the Raiders could not touch; as they fell 33-14,
in a game that was over almost form the start.
1968: The Raiders get off to a fast start again winning their first four games, before
back-to-back losses knocked them off their first place perch. The Raiders would
win their next three ame at Oakland. Even NBC thought the game was over, so they
switched it off in favor of the movie "Heidi". However, Daryle Lamonica drove
the Raiders 77 yards on two plays to take a 36-32 lead. On the ensuing kickoff
the Jets would fumble at the goaline allowing the Raiders to recover and win
the game 43-32. However, thanks to NBC's shortsighted decision nobody at home saw
it. An angry out cry would be heard from football fans all over the country,
as the game was forever known as "The Heidi Game". The Raiders would go on to
finish with a 12-2 record, earning a first place tie with Kansas City Chiefs. In
the divisional playoff at Oakland the Raiders would easily beat the Chiefs by
a score 41-6 to earn a trip to the AFL Championship. In the AFL Championship Game
the Raiders found themselves in a rematch with the Jets in New York. The Raiders
would fall behind early, but once again mounted a comeback to take a 23-20
lead in the 4th Quarter. However, Joe Namath would quickly lead the Jets back
down the field to take a 27-23 lead on a pass to Don Maynard. The Raiders would
have one last chance but when Johnny Sample intercepted a Daryle Lamonica pass
at midfield the Raiders fate was sealed. Following the game Coach John Rauch
would retire, he would be replaced by a young 33-year old assistant named John
Madden.
1969: The Raiders would dominate the AFL again in the final season the two leagues were
kept apart, winning their third straight Division Title with a record of 12-1-1.
However, an extra tier of playoff was added with the second place teams qualifying
for the playoffs. In the first round the Raiders easily destroyed the Houston
Oilers 56-7 at Oakland to advance to their third straight Championship Game.
In the AFL Championship Game in Oakland the Raiders were matched up against
their fiercest rivals the Kansas City Chiefs who they defeated twice on the way
to capturing the Division Title. However, it would not be the Raiders day as
the Chiefs extracted revenge in a 17-7 win in the final pure AFL game.
1970: The Raiders did not start the season out on the right foot going winless through
their first three games. However, they would quickly turn things around going unbeaten
in their next seven games. In the next to last game of the season the Raiders
defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 20-6 to sew up their fourth straight division
title. The 8-4-2 Raiders faced the Miami Dolphins in Oakland, getting revenge
for an early season loss by beating the Dolphins 21-14. However, in the AFC
Championship Game the Raiders season is ended with a 27-17 loss to the Colts
in Baltimore.
1971: After dropping their first game to the Patriots in New England, the Raiders roll
off a nine game unbeaten streak and take over the top spot in the AFC West again.
However, a three game losing streak would not only cost the Raiders first place,
but it also cost them a playoff spot as the Raiders season ended in disappointment
at 8-4-2.
1972: After playing mediocre football for most of the first half, the Raiders win their
final six games to capture their 5th division Championship in six years with a
solid 10-3-1 record. In the Divisional Playoffs at Pittsburgh the Raiders and
Steelers locked horns in a defensive struggle. With the Steelers leading 6-0 with
less tan a minute left Quarterback Kenny Stabler subbing for Daryle Lamonica
scored a Touchdown on a 30-yard bootleg to give the Raiders a 7-6 lead. The Raiders
appeared to have the game won with the Steelers facing 4th Down and 10; Jack
Tatum deflected a pass away from John Fuqua. However, the ball would never
hit the ground out of nowhere Franco Harris caught it and ran it in for a Touchdown
that dealt the Raiders as stunning 13-7 loss.
1973: After losing their season opener to the Vikings in Minnesota the Raiders play their
home opener in nearby Berkley against the Miami Dolphins who enter the game
on an 18-game winning streak. The Raiders defense was extra fierce that afternoon
ending the Dolphins streak with a 12-7 win. However, trough 10 games the Raiders
were still struggling at 5-4-1. The Raiders would finish the season strong
winning their last 4 games including a 21-17 win in the season finale over the
Denver Broncos that won the AFC West with a 9-4-1 record. In the Divisional Playoff
in Oakland the Raiders would get revenge for the "Immaculate Reception" with
a convincing 33-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. However the Raiders season
would end a week later with a 27-10 loss to the Dolphins in Miami in the AFC
Championship Game.
1974: After losing their first game 21-20 to the Bills in Buffalo, the Raiders run off
a dominating nine game winning streak, on the way to cruising to their seventh
Division Title in eight years with a 12-2 record as Quarterback Kenny Stabler won
both the Offensive Player of the Year and NFL MVP. In the Divisional Playoffs
the Raiders and Miami Dolphins battled back and forth all day as the Dolphins
took a 26-21 lead with two minutes left. However, Kenny Stabler would use his
legs and arm to snake the Raiders up to the Dolphins eight yard line with 30 seconds
left. On first down and goal Stabler appeared in trouble as he was flushed
of the pocket, but instead of going down with a back breaking sack Stabler got
rid of the ball. The ball seemed to float through a sea of Dolphins defenders
before Clarence Davis made a juggling catch to give the Raiders a 28-26 lead.
The Raiders would go on to seal the game on Phil Villapiano interception. However,
a week later in the AFC Championship Game the Raiders would be stunned by the
Pittsburgh Steelers 24-13 at Oakland.
1975: The Raiders get the season started out the right foot by beating the Dolphins 31-21
in a Monday Night showdown in Miami that ended the Dolphins 31-game home winning
streak. The Raiders would go on to cruise to another division title with an
11-3 record. In the final game of the season Kicker George Blanda playing in
his final game scored his 2,000th point becoming the first player in NFL history
to score 2,000 points. A week later the Raiders would avenge an early season
loss by beating the Cincinnati Bengals 31-28 in the Divisional Playoffs at Oakland.
However a week later the Raiders would lose a defensive war to the Steelers
16-10 on a snowy day in Pittsburgh with the AFC Championship on the line.
1976: Prior to the start of the season Al Davis gained sole control of the franchise when
Wayne Valley sold all of his shares. In a season opening showdown with Pittsburgh
Steelers in Oakland Safety George Atkinson knock Steelers Wide Receiver Lynn
Swann out for two weeks with a helmet-to-helmet hit, as the Raiders won 31-28.
Following the game Steelers coach Chuck Noll called Atkinson a criminal leading
to a lawsuit. That game would set the tone for the Raiders seemed even meaner
and nastier then previous seasons, cruising to their 9th Division Title in
10 years with a 13-1 record. However, in the playoffs the Raiders appeared to be
in trouble trailing the New England Patriots 21-10 entering the 4th Quarter in
Oakland. The Raiders would cut the deficit to 21-17 with a TD early in the 4th.
However, they appeared on the ropes again when the Pats had the ball third down
and inches on the Raiders 30. However, the Pats would jump off sides, and Phil
Villapiano would make a key drive stopping play, which was made even bigger
when the Pats missed a Field Goal. The Raiders would drive down to the Pats 27
but appeared stalled before a key pass interference penalty put the Raiders deep
into Pats territory. The Raiders would go on to cash it in and won the game
by a score of 24-21. In the AFC Championship Game the Raiders would take advantage
of an injury depleted Steelers team beating them 24-7 in Oakland for a trip
to the Super Bowl.Super Bowl XI: The Raiders were finally back in the Super Bowl facing the Minnesota Vikings in Pasadena
before a crowd dominated by Raiders fans. The game would go scoreless through
the 1st Quarter as the Raiders survived a block punt by recovering a fumble
at the goaline. The Raiders would dominate the 2nd Quarter taking a 16-0 lead
as the raiders defense continued to cause turnovers. The game would go into
the 4th Quarter with Raiders leading 19-7. The Raiders would extend their lead
on Pete Banaszak's second Touchdown of the game. On the next series they would
seal the game when Willie Brown ran back a interception 75 yards to seal the game.
The Vikings would add a cosmetic Touchdown for the 32-14 final as Wide Receiver
Fred Biletnikoff was named the game's MVP.
1977: The Raiders would get off to another fast start winning their first four games on
the way to an 11-3 season. However, they would have to settle for a Wild Card
as they lose the division by a game to the Denver Broncos. In the Divisional Playoffs
in Baltimore the Raiders would battle the Colts in a back and forth game
all day. The game would go through an entire overtime period tied at 31, before
Kenny Stabler hit Tight End Dave Casper on a post pattern for the game winning
Touchdwon 43 second into the second Overtime. However, the Raiders reign would
end with a heartbreaking 20-17 loss to the Broncos in Denver for the AFC Championship.
1978: The Raiders rough and tumble image suffered a black eye when Cornerback Jack Tatum
hit New England Patriots Wide Receiver Darryl Stingley hard in the back during
a preseason game at Oakland. The hit would shatter Stingley's spinal cord leaving
him in a wheel chair for life. When the season started the raiders maintained
their dominant form despite a terrible interception plagued season from Quarterback
Ken Stabler, as they sat at 8-4 through 12 games. However, the struggles
would catch up to the as they dropped three straight games to fall out of the
playoff race. The Raiders needed a 27-20 win over the Minnesota Vikings in their
final game just to assure a winning record at 9-7. The season's highlight was
a stunning last second win over the Chargers in San Diego where the Raiders
fumble kept rolling toward the endzone where Tight End Dave Casper fell on the
ball. Following the season Coach John Madden would retire sighting concerns after
posting a career record of 103-32-7. Madden would go on to become one of the
voice of the NFL on Television and videos games achieving more fame and fan fare
after retirement then he did while coaching.
1979: Replacing John Madden as head Coach was Tom Flores, a Raider Quarterback for the
early days. Under Flores the Raiders would play mediocre football for most of the
season sitting at 6-6 through 12 games. However, they would find themselves
in playoff position entering the final week of the season after a three game winning
streak. However, a 29-24 loss at home to the Seattle Seahawks would cost
the Raiders a playoff spot as their season ended with a 9-7 record.
1980: Prior to the start of the season Al Davis announced plans to move the Raiders for
Oakland to Los Angels. However, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle blocked the move
by filing a restring order. He would even try to get the Al Davis removed as owner,
as the case went to the courts. Still playing in Oakland the Raiders entered
the season with a new Quarterback after acquiring Dan Pastorini from the Houston
Oilers for Kenny Stabler. However Pastorini struggled and the Raiders got
off to a 2-3 when Pastorini was injured and replaced by Jim Plunkett. Plunkett
proved to be the right fit for the Raiders offense as the team played solid football
the rest of the season compiling an 11-5 record, and qualifying for the
playoffs as a Wild Card. In the Wild Card Game the Raiders would beat the Houston
Oilers 27-7 at Oakland as the Raiders defense picked former teammate Kenny Stabler
off twice. Playing in freezing weather with temperature reading 30 degrees
below zero the Raiders stunned the Browns 14-12 in a defensive struggle in Cleveland.
In the AFC Championship Game in San Diego the game would be a shoot out
as the Raiders stunned the Chargers 34-27 to become the first AFC Wild Card
to make the Super Bowl. Super Bowl XV: The Raiders who were involved in a lawsuit against the NFL were in the Super Bowl
in New Orleans facing the Philadelphia Eagles as NFL officials were all but openly
rooting for the Eagles. The Raiders would jump on the board first as Jim Plunkett
hit Cliff Branch on a short Touchdown pass midway through the first Quarter.
The Raiders would take a stranglehold on the game at the end of the quarter
when Plunkett hit Kenny King on an 80-yard Touchdown strike. The Eagles would
score a Field Goal in the 2nd Quarter, but the Raiders defense would take over
the game as Rod Martin picked Eagles QB Ron Jaworski off three times. The Raiders
would go on to win the game 27-10 as Jim Plunkett was named the game's MVP
with three Touchdown passes. The win led to one of the most uncomfortable moments
in NFL history as Commissioner Pete Rozelle was forced to present Al Davis
the man he was involved in a legal wrestling match with the Lombardi Trophy.
1981: With Quarterback Marc Wilson taking over for an inured, and ineffective Jim Plunkett
the Raiders struggled with mediocrity all season as their record 16-year streak
of winning seasons ended with a 7-9 record as the lame duck Raiders finally
won the go ahead to move to Los Angels following the season. In their final game
at Oakland the Raiders would fall 23-6 to the Chicago Bears.

Los Angeles Years (1982-1994)

1982: The Raiders would start the season with two road wins, but their debut in Los Angeles
was put on hold when the NFL Players embarked on a two month strike. When
the season resumed on November 22nd the Raiders beat the San Diego Chargers 28-24
in a Monday Night at the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. After a loss
to the Bengals in Cincinnati the Raiders won their next 2 before a showdown with
the cross-town Rams, at the Coliseum. The Raiders would win the shootout 37-31
in a sold out Coliseum that was the first Million Dollar Gate in NFL history.
The Raiders would go on to get the top seed in the AFC Playoff Tournament with
an 8-1 record, as Running Back Marcus Allen won Offensive Rookie of the Year
honors. In the first round the Raiders, easily dispatch the Cleveland Browns by
a score of 27-10. However, in the next round the Raiders are plagued by turnovers
in a stunning 17-14 loss to the New York Jets.
1983: Prior to the season the Raiders added salt in the wound of the NFL by winning a $35
million antitrust suit against the NFL for blocking the move to Los Angeles.
To sure up holes in the secondary the Raiders acquire Cornerback Mike Haynes from
the New England Patriots. With a balanced offense the Raiders get off to a
quick start winning their first four games before losing a 37-35 shootout to the
Redskins in Washington, that was in many eye's the game of the season. The Raiders
would go on to cruise to another AFC West title with a record of 12-4, despite
two losses to the Seattle Seahawks. In the Divisional Playoffs at the Coliseum
the Raiders would maul the Pittsburgh Steelers 38-10. The win set up a rematch
with Seahawks in Los Angeles with the AFC Championship Game on the line.
The Raiders would jump out to a 20-0 halftime lead behind the running of Marcus
Allen, as the Raiders beat the Seahawks 30-14 to earn a trip to the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl XVIII: In a rematch of a memorable early season game the Raiders faced the Washington Redskins
in Tampa with the Lombardi Trophy on the line. The Raiders would get on
the board first when Derrick Jensen blocked a punt for a Touchdown early in the
1st Quarter. Late in the 2nd Quarter the score was 14-3 when the Raiders grabbed
a stranglehold on the game as Jack Squirek intercepted, and returned an attempted
screen pass five yards for Touchdown. In their regular season meeting in
a similar situation the Redskins scored on the same play this time Squirek and
the Raiders were not fooled taking a 21-3 halftime lead. The 2nd half would be
the Marcus Allen show, as the Raiders star Running Back simply took over scoring
two Touchdowns in the 3rd Quarter including a 75-yard Touchcdown run to seal
the game on the quarter's final play. Allen would go on to win the game's MVP as
the Raiders won the third Lombardi Trophy by a score of 38-9. As always there
was a gleam in the eye of Al Davis as he received the trophy from Commissioner
Pete Rozelle, the man he beat in court.1984: The Raiders would get off to a fast start winning their first four games and seven
out of their first eight overall. However, a costly three game losing streak
would drop the Raiders out of first place, as they went on to settle for the Wild
Card with an 11-5 record. In the wild Card Game the Raiders would fall to Seahawks
13-7 in Seattle.
1985: Led by Marcus Allen who won both the Offensive Player of the Year and NFL MVP, the
Raiders recapture the AFC West by winning their last six games to finish with
a 12-4 record. However, in the Divisional Playoffs the Raiders would have a rash
of turnovers in a stunning 27-20 home loss to the New England Patriots.
1986: The Raiders would stumble out of the gate losing their first three games, as Running
Back Marcus Allen plays through injuries at the start of the season. However
the injuries would become controversial when Al Davis publicly stated Allen was
faking the injuries. However amidst the billowing storm the Raiders would turn
their season around winning eight of their next nine games. However, the season
would go down in flames after a Marcus Allen fumble is returned all the way
in an overtime loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at the Coliseum, further agitating
the troubles between Davis and Allen. The loss would be the start of a season
ending four game losing streak as the Raiders finished with a disappointing
8-8 record. 1987: The troubles between Marcus Allen and Al Davis only get more heated as the Raiders
sign former Heisman Winner Bo Jackson. However, they would not have Jackson full
time as he chose to split time between baseball with the Kansas City Royals
and football with the Raiders. With baseball season wrapping up Allen helped lead
the Raiders to a 2-0 start before a Players strike led to the use of replacement
players. However Davis insisted Allen cross the line and when he didn't the
bad blood between the two got worse. After winning their first game the Raiders
scabs would lose their next two games. When the regulars returned the losing
streak continued. The losing streak would finally end with a Monday Night showdown
in Seattle where Bo Jackson ran over Brian Bozwroth and the Seahawks in a
37-14 win. However, it was just a minor reprieve as the Raiders lost their last
three games and finished with a woeful 5-10 record. After the season Al Davis,
unhappy with the passionless crowds in Los Angeles began to make overtures that
he wanted to move again. Meanwhile Coach Tom Flores would resign after a successful
nine year tenure.
1988: Under new coach Mike Shanahan the Raiders would play mediocre football all season
finishing with a 7-9 record, as newly acquired Quarterback Jay Schroeder struggles
with turnovers, and Marcus Allen is under utilized with second half arrival
of Bo Jackson. Following the season Al Davis would flirt with a move back to
Oakland, but agreed to stay in Los Angeles after renovations were made at the Coliseum.1989: After winning their season opener 40-14 over the San Diego Chargers, at the Coliseum
the Raiders drop their next three games leading to the firing of Coach Mike
Shanahan. Under new Coach Art Shell the Raiders would play better football right
away winning four of Shell's first five games. In becoming coach Art Shell became
the first black coach in the modern day NFL. The Raiders needed a win in
their final game to have a shot at a playoff spot. However, the Raiders season
would end with a 34-17 loss to the Giants in New York, as the Raiders finished
with an 8-8 record, as Marcus Allen only carries the ball 69 times.
1990: With Marcus Allen becoming a vital part of the offense again with 13 Touchdowns as
the Raiders win 6 of their first seven games. The Raiders would go on to capture
the AFC West with a 12-4 record as Allen and Bo Jackson provide a potent 1-2
punch in the backfield. In the Divisional Playoffs the Raiders would beat the
Cincinnati Bengals 21-10 at the Coliseum. However, Running Back Bo Jackson would
suffer a career ending hip injury late in the 3rd Quarter when David Fulcher
literal rips the hip out its socket in a tackle from behind on the sidelines.
Playing without Bo in bone chilling weather the Raiders season is ended with a
51-3 rout at the hands of the Bills in the AFC Championship game in Buffalo.
1991: Al Davis further enflames the ire of Marcus Allen by signing Plan B Free agent Roger
Craig, as Allen seems trapped on the Raiders being under used. The Raiders
probably could have used Allen as they lost their last three games of the season.
However, with a record of 9-7 the Raiders still managed to sneak into the playoffs.
However, their season would end quickly with a 10-6 loss to the Chiefs
in Kansas City in the Wild Card Game.
1992: Marcus Allen continues to be buried on the bench as the Raiders get off to a miserable
start losing their first four games. The Raiders would not be able to overcome
the start never reaching the .500 mark, while finishing with a 7-9 record.
Following the season Marcus Allen given the opportunity of true free agency signed
with Kansas City Chiefs, in an attempt at revenge against Al Davis, who orchestrated
his long benching.
1993: With newly acquired Quarterback Jeff Hosteller the Raiders play solid football all
season and qualify for the playoffs with a 10-6 record, along the way Raiders
won several close games in the 4th Quarter. One of those nail bitters was a season
finale 33-30 overtime win over the Denver Broncos at the Coliseum which decided
home field for their Wild Card playoff match up. The Wild Card Game would
not be as close as the Raiders cruised to an impressive 42-24 win. A week later
in the Divisional Playoff the Raiders held a lead early in the 4th Quarter over
the Bills in Buffalo. However, the Bills would rally and pull out a 29-23 win
to end the Raiders season.
1994: The Raiders would stumble out of the gate losing three of their first four games.
The Raiders would recover and entered the final game of the season in Los Angeles
on a three game winning streak, needing just a win over the Kansas City Chiefs
to make the playoffs. However, the Raiders offense could not get it going in
a 19-9 loss that ended their season with a 9-7 record. Following the season Coach
Art Shell would be fired, and replaced by Mike White. However, the big news
of the off-season was a move. After 13 unsatisfying years in Los Angeles the
Raiders announced they were moving back to Oakland, after the city agreed to massive
overhaul of the old Oakland Alameda County Coliseum.

Return to Oakland (1995-Present)

1995: On September 3rd the Raiders made a triumph return to Oakland by beating the San
Diego Chargers 17-7. The return to Oakland would provide an instant spark as the
Raiders playing in front of true and passionate fans in Oakland got off to a
fantastic start winning eight of their first ten games. However, a 34-21 home loss
to the Dallas Cowboys would send the Raiders reeling back to earth as they
closed the season in disappointing fashion losing their final 6 games to finish
with an 8-8 record.
1996: The Raiders stumble out of the gate losing two tough road games, before finally winning
their first home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars 17-3. The win would
be the start of a stretch in which they won five out of six games. However,
two separate three game losing streaks in the second half would doom the Raiders
to a 7-9 season. Following the season Coach Mike White is fired and replaced
by Joe Bugel.
1997: The Raiders stumble out of the gate losing three of their first four games by a field
goal or less. Frustrating losses was the hallmark of the season as the Raiders
by uninspired football all season on the way to finishing with a woeful record
of 4-12. Following the season Coach Joe Bugel is fired and replaced by Jon
Gruden.
1998: Despite playing only mediocre football on the way to an 8-8 season new Coach Jon
Gruden, who at 34 is the youngest coach in the NFL becomes an immediate fan favorite
with his intensity on the sideline earning the nickname chucky form his players.
1999: The Raiders alternate wins and losses all season on the way to another 8-8 season.
However, in their season finale the Raiders would get extra satisfaction by knocking
the Chiefs out of the playoffs with a come from behind 41-38 win in overtime
in Kansas City.2000: Quarterback Rich Gannon has a career season passing for 3,430 yards as the Raiders
grabbed control of the AFC West early by winning ten of their first 12 games.
The Raiders would split their last four games, but their 12-4 record was good
enough to earn their first division title in ten years and a first round bye. In
the Divisional Playoffs the Raiders defense dominated the Miami Dolphins all
day on the way to an easy 27-0 victory in the first playoff game in Oakland in
20 years. However, a week later in the AFC Championship Game Rich Gannon suffers
a rib injury on the first series of the game in a stunning 16-3 loss to the Baltimore
Ravens.
2001: To add another weapon to their offense the Raiders sign Wide Receiver Jerry Rice
who holds every major career receiving record. Rice would join long time Raider
Tim Brown in 1,000-yard club as the Raiders got off to a terrific start winning
eight of their first ten games. The Raiders would quickly overcome a stunning
home loss to the Arizona Cardinals to clinch the division early with a 10-3 record.
However, with home field advantage up in the air the Raiders coasted through
their last three games losing each and were forced to play in the Wild Card
round after a 10-6 season. In the Wild Card Game Jerry Rice showed he was not
done yet collecting almost 200 receiving yards in an exciting 38-24 win over the
New York Jets in Oakland. A week later the Raiders appeared to be heading for
the AFC Championship Game with a 13-10 win over the Patriots in the snow at New
England, as they scooped up a Tom Brady fumble with less then two minutes left.
However, the play was reversed by instant replay thanks to the obscure and controversial
tuck rule. The Pats would go on to tie the game, and take the opening
drive in overtime deep into Raiders territory where they nailed a game winning
Field Goal to pull out a controversial 16-13 win. Following the season Coach
Jon Gruden was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for draft picks after the team
was unable to sign him to a contract extension. The reason no contract extension
was reached is that Al Davis who felt Gruden was stealing his spotlight wanted
reclaim some of the control Gruden had taken away from him in recent
years. The Raiders would go on to name Bill Callahan to replace him.
2002: Under new Coach Bill Callahan the Raiders would come flying out of the gate winning
their first 4 games behind high powered offense that scored 162 points in their
first four games. However, the Raiders would suddenly go into a tailspin losing
four straight games, including four in overtime as they sat at the midway
point with a mediocre 4-4 record. However, just as suddenly the Raiders would rebound
as Jerry Rice collected his 200th career touchdown in a 34-10 win on the
road over the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football. The Monday Night win would
be the start of a 5 game winning streak which included another Raiders receiver
having a Monday Night Milestone as Tim Brown became just the third Wide Reciever
in NFL history to collect 1,000 career receptions joining Rice, and Cris
Carter, as the Raiders beat the New York Jets at home 26-20. After a loss to the
Miami Dolphins on the road the Raiders would go on to win the AFC West with
a solid 11-5 record as Rich Gannon was named NFL MVP for passing for 4,689 yards,
while throwing 26 Touchdown passes to just ten interceptions. The Raiders, who
had earned Home Field advantage in the AFC faced the Jets again in the Division
Round of the playoffs after going into halftime tied at 10 the Raiders would
pull away in the 4th Quarter, as Wide Receiver Jerry Porter outshined his two
Hall of Fame teammates with 123 receiving yards including a 50-yard reception
that set up the game breaking Touchdown. Hosting the Tennessee Titans in the AFC
Championship Game the veteran Raiders would find themselves behind 17-14 entering
the final minutes of the first half. However suddenly the Raiders would catch
a break as they recovered a fumbled punt on the Titans 16 to set an up a Rich
Gannon Touchdown pass. On the ensuing kickoff the Raiders would catch another
break recovering a fumble to set up a Sebastian Janikowski Field Goal to give
the Riders a 24-17 halftime lead. In the second half the Raiders would dominate
the Titans on the way to a 41-24 win that sent them to their first Super Bowl
in 19 years.
Super Bowl XXXVII: Super Bowl week would turn into the "Chucky Circus" as the Raiders faced the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers coached by Jon Gruden. Gruden who coached ten Raiders from 1998-2001
had rebuilt the team into a scoring machine that his replacement Bill Callahan
helped form into the top offense in the NFL who, were matched up against
Gruden's Buccaneers who had the top defense in the NFL. The circus atmosphere
would overwhelm Raiders center Barret Robbins who went AWOL the day before the
big game in San Diego. Robbins would reappear the morning of the game after a night
of drinking in Tijuana, but he would be suspended from the team. At the start
of the game it appeared as if the Robbins distraction would not hurt as the
Raiders, who took advantage of an interception on the first possession of the
game to take an early 3-0 lead. However, the Bucs defense seemed to know what was
coming as they red Rich Gannon perfectly intercepting two passes and shutting
down the Raiders offense completely to take a 20-3 lead into halftime. Things
would not get better for the Raiders in the second half as the Bucs extended their
lead to 27-3 on a long drive that ate up time in the 3rd Quarter. Now in desperation
mode Gannon trying desperately to get the Raiders back into he game
would be picked off by Dwight Smith who returned it all the way to extend their
lead to 34-3. The Raiders would make a furious attempt at comeback scoring three
consecutive Touchdowns, to cut the lead to 34-21. However, in the final two
minutes Gannon would have another two interceptions ran back for touchdowns as
the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl 48-21.
2003: Coming off their disappointing performance in the Super Bowl the Raiders appeared
to be suffering from a hangover as they struggled in their first four games winning
twice at home and losing twice on the road, but even in their wins they did
not play well. Things would take a turn for the worse as the Raiders lost their
next five games, while MVP Rich Gannon struggled before being shelved by a
season ending shoulder injury in Week 8. Meanwhile a public feud developed between
the players and Coach Bill Callahan who was seen at fault for the Raiders poor
Super Bowl showing. The Raiders losing streak would end with a 28-18 win over
the Minnesota Vikings at home, but it would be a mere moment of relief in a
lost season as the Raiders finished with a terrible 4-12 record, the worst season
ever for any team coming off a Super Bowl Appearance, as the old veterans who
looked like they were still in their prime a season earlier looked like they
were ready for the old folks home in 2003. Among the vets with disappointing seasons
were Jerry Rice and Tim Brown who each only scored two Touchdowns. Following
the disastrous season which saw the Raiders finish tied for the worst record
in the NFL Coach Bill Callahan is fired and replace by Norv Turner as the Raiders
began to make wholesale changes among them releasing veteran Tim Brown the
holder of most Raiders receiving records, while strengthening their defense by
signing free agent Warren Sapp.
2004: The Norv Turner era would get off to a good start as the Raiders won two of their
first three games. However, in a Week 3 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in which
the Raiders got a measure of revenge for their Super Bowl loss with a 30-20,
Quarterback Rich Gannon suffers a career ending neck injury. The rest of the
season the Raiders would turn to Kerry Collins who would be slow to adapt to the
Raiders offense losing his first five starts. Along the way the Raiders would
deal legendary Wide Receiver Jerry Rice whose consecutive games with a reception
streak ended in a Week 2 win over the Buffalo Bills at 274, to the Seattle
Seahawks. Collins would play better as the season wore on but the Raiders would
still struggle finishing in last place with a 5-11 record. Following the season
the Raiders would acquire All-Pro Wide Receiver Randy Moss in a blockbuster deal
with the Minnesota Vikings. 2005: The Raiders with newly acquired Wide Reciever Randy Moss started the season in the
spotlight as they faced the two time defending champion New England Patriots
in a Thursday Night Primetime Special to start the NFL season. Moss would collect
130 receiving yards and Touchdown, but the Pats would get the win 30-20. After
losing their next two the Raiders finally broke through against the Dallas Cowboys
in Week 4, winning at home 19-13. Following a loss to the San Diego Chargers
the Raiders won back to back games for the only time during the season to
climb 3-4. However, the Raiders would win just one more game the rest of their
season as their defense was among the worst in the NFL, while Moss who dealt with
a tight hamstring all season had a disappointing first season in silver and
black as the losses and frustration mounted in Oakland. The Raiders would go on
to finish in last place again with an awful record of 4-12, as Coach Norv Turner
was fired following the season. Following an extensive coaching search the Raiders
decided to go back to the past to select their coach as they hired Art Shell
who had previously led the Raiders from 1988-1994, before being dismissed
as the team moved back to Oakland.
2006: Art Shell's second tenure as coach of the Raiders began in an inauspicious fashion
as the Raiders were blanked 27-0 at home by the San Diego Chargers. Things did
not get better the following week as the Raiders dropped to 0-2 with a 28-6 loss
to the Baltimore Ravens on the road. Following an early bye week the Raiders
continued to play terrible football as they dropped their next three games to
start the season 0-5. The Raiders would finally earn their first win against the
Arizona Cardinals, who were just six day removed from a stunning 4th Quarter
comeback, and obviously still in a hangover. A week later the Raiders would make
it two straight taken advantage of Pittsburgh Steelers Ben Roethlisberger playing
through a concussion, as the Raiders defense returned two interceptions for
Touchdowns highlighted by a 100-yard return from Chris Carr as they beat the
defending Super Bowl Champions 20-13, despite a paltry 98 yards total offense.
A week later against the Super Bowl losers from the previous year the Raiders
were not as fortunate as they were blanked 16-0. In the waning moments of their
loss to the Seahawks a television camera caught Wide Receiver Randy Moss sulking
on the bench, leading to an interview when he declared it was hard to care if
nobody else on the team cared. Unfortunately for the once proud Raiders, it looked
as if nobody cared as they lost their remaining games to finish the season
at 2-14. Despite the terrible record the Raiders defense played well most of
the season, but the offensive stats were simply offensive, as they totaled just
168 points for the season, getting shutout three times, scoring 20 or more points
just four times, with their highest scoring game being their 22-9 win over
the Cardinals. Along the way the Raiders became the laughing stock of the NFL with
their offensive coordinator Tom Walsh getting a bulk of the attention after
returning to the NFL after 11 years of running a bread and breakfast in Swan Valley,
Idaho where he also served as mayor. Walsh would lose his job in the middle
of the season as the return of Art Shell lasted just one season, with the Raiders
hiring the youthful Lane Kiffin following the season. Randy Moss would also
be shown the door, as the Raiders traded him to the New England Patriots for
a fourth round draft pick.2007: As the Raiders have done successfully in the past with the hiring of Al Davis, John
Madden and Jon Gruden all when they were in their 30s the Raiders looked for
youth when finding a new coach and hired 32-year-old Lane Kiffin. However, things
did not start well for the Raiders under Kiffin, when Quarterback JaMarcus
Russell the number one overall pick held out all of training camp. The hold out
would be a set back for the young Quarterback and the team itself as they had
Josh McCown under center when the season began with a 36-21 loss to the Detroit
Lions. A week later on the road the Raiders played much better but ended up on
the shortened again losing to the Denver Broncos in overtime 23-20, in a game
that was highlighted by Broncos Coach Mike Shanahan calling a timeout just as Sebastian
Janikowski was kicking a potential game winning field goal, the officials
ruled he called timeout just before the snap and though Janikowski made the
kick the field goal would not count. In Week 3 the Raiders figured turn about
was fair play as they beat the Cleveland Browns 26-24 to win their first game,
with Kiffin calling timeout just as Phil Dawson was attempting a game winning kick
for the Browns. The Raiders would turn to Daunte Culpepper in Week 4 as he
faced his former team, who had released him for a bad knee. Culpepper would burn
his former teammates by rushing in for three touchdowns, as the Raiders improved
to 2-2 with an impressive 35-17 win on the road. However, Culpepper would struggle
badly over the next few weeks as the Raiders lost their next six games.
In Week 12 the Raiders would end several losing streaks in one fowl swoop as they
beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium 20-17, behind the solid running
of Justin Fargas. It ended their six game losing streak, ended a 17-game
losing streak to AFC Western Division rivals, and ended a nine game losing streak
in Kansas City. A week later with Josh McNown under center the Raiders made
it two in a row against the AFC West as they stunned the Broncos 34-20. However,
it would be the last win of the season for the Raiders as they lost their last
four games matched up against playoff teams, with JaMarcus Russell getting a
chance to start in the final two games of the season, with the Raiders finishing
4-12.
2008: As the season started the clouds had already surround the Raiders, as Coach Lane
Kiffen and Owner Al Davis were squabbling, with rumors of another coaching change
in Oakland being an almost certainty. The coaching change would come four games
into the season as the Raiders lost three of their first four games. Replacement
Tom Cable would not do much better, as the Raiders dropped four of their
next five games under their new coach, as JaMarcus Russell struggled in his first
full season as the Raiders starting Quarterback. In Week 12 the Raiders, would
play their best game of the season, as they stunned the Denver Broncos on the
road 31-10, avenging a season opening loss 41-14 loss in Oakland. However, the
struggles continued after their win in Denver as the Raiders dropped three straight
games. The Raiders would end the season on a strong note, beating the Houston
Texans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the final two games of the season. The
season closing win in Tampa, was particularly satisfying as the Raiders overcame
24-14 deficit in the 4th Quarter to win 31-24, eliminating the Buccaneers from
the postseason. However, the raiders themselves were a non-factor again in the
playoff chase as they finished 5-11.
2009: Tom Cable, who was entering his first full season as coach of the Raiders, began
the season embroiled in controversy as he was accused of assaulting Assistant Coach
Randy Hanson during training camp in Napa. Hanson suffered a broken jaw and
cracked teeth, but the Napa district attorney announced that no charges would
be filed against Cable. At the same time a report linking Cable to domestic violence
against two ex-wives and an ex-girlfriend put his future in doubt. On the
field the Raiders continued to struggle as Quarterback JaMarcus Russell continued
to play underwhelming football. In nine starts he had just three touchdown
passes, while throwing 11 interceptions as he had the lowest quarterback rating,
lowest completion percentage, fewest passing touchdowns, and fewest passing
yards among qualifying quarterbacks in the NFL. The Raiders would only win two
of their first nine games before Russell was benched in favor of Bruce Gradkowski.
In his first start Gradkowski led the Raiders to comeback win over the first
place Cincinnati Bengals, as Sebastian Janikowski nailed a 33 yard field goal
to win the game 20-17. Following a 24-7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving,
the Raiders had more 4th Quarter magic from Bruce Gradkowski as they rallied
to stun the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road 27-24. In the game Gradkowski passed
for 308 yards with three 4th Quarter TD passes. One of the passes went 75
yards to Louis Murphy, who he found again in the endzone with nine seconds left
to stun the defending champions. Unfortunately for the Raiders Gradkowski would
go down with a knee injury a week later in a loss to the Washington Redskins.
JaMarcus Russell would only see the field again as a backup, as Charlie Frye
started the final three games of the season. Though he came off the bench and led
the Raiders to a 20-19 win over the Denver Broncos. Russell would sit and watch
the final two games of the season, as his own teammates lost faith him because
of his poor work ethic, as he ballooned to nearly 300 lbs. The Raiders would
finish the season with a record of 5-11. Despite the poor record Tom Cable would
not be fired, but the same could not be said for QB JaMarcus Russell, who was
released after three disappointing seasons, becoming of the biggest busts in
the history of the NFL Draft.
2010: With the newly acquired Jason Campbell starting at quarterback, the Raiders season
got off to a rough start, as they suffered an ugly 38-13 loss to the Tennessee
Titans. The Raiders would rebound in the home opener as Bruce Gradkowski came
off the bench and came off the bench to lead the Raiders to a 16-14 win over the
St. Louis Rams. Gradkowski would get the start the next two weeks, and would
play well as the Raider lost close games to the Arizona Cardinals and Houston
Texans. After Gradkowski was injured it was back to Jason Campbell who passed for
159 yards with a touchdown as the Raiders ended a 13 game losing streak against
the San Diego Chargers with a 35-27 win at home, that saw the Raiders get strong
play from all units highlighted by two blocked punts, and a 64 yard fumble
return for a Touchdown by Tyvon Branch to seal the victory. After a disappointing
17-9 to the San Francisco 49ers in Candlestick Park, the Raiders came out
smoking against the Denver Broncos, with Darren McFadden collecting 198 all purpose
yards with four touchdowns as the Raiders slammed the Broncos on the road
59-14. A week later the Raiders would reach .500, with a 33-3 win over the Seattle
Seahawks, as Jason Campbell passed for 310 yards with two touchdowns. Thanks
to Sebastian Janikowski the Raiders would continue to roll as they beat the Kansas
City Chiefs in overtime 23-20, with Janikowski hitting the game tying 41
yard field goal and game winning field goal in overtime from 33 yards out. At 5-4
the Raiders were over .500 at the bye week with their first three game winning
streak in eight years. Coming out of the bye, the Raiders suffered a setback,
losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins to fall to 5-6. They would
rebound again in their own division, beating the Chargers for the second time
in the season 28-13, capitalizing on several Charger mistakes, sweeping the Chargers
for the first time since 2001. A week later the Raiders would lose a shootout
to the Jacksonville Jaguars 38-31, wasting great games by QB Jason Campbell
and RB Darren McFadden. Against the Broncos the Raiders would improve to 5-0
against the AFC West with a 39-23 win to keep their faint playoff hopes alive.
The Raiders would be eliminated a week later as they lost to the Indianapolis
Colts 31-26, despite another solid game by Jason Campbell. The Raiders would go
on to beat the Chiefs 31-10 on the road in a meaningless game to end the season.
The win allowed the Raiders to finish the season with an 8-8 record that included
a perfect 6-0 record against their three division rivals. However, it would
not be enough to save Coach Tom Cable's job as he clashed with Al Davis. Cable
would be replaced by Hue Jackson who had served as the Raiders Offensive Coordinator
in 2010.
2011: With new Coach Hue Jackson, the Raiders began the season with hopes of being a factor
in the playoffs again following an 8-8 season. Things would start well for
the Raiders as they beat the Denver Broncos on the road 23-20 on Monday Night
Football. Running Back Darren McFadden carried the load, with 150 yards rushing,
while Seabastien Janikowski had three Field Goals, including a record tying 63
yard kick just before the half. A week later, the Raiders again got off to a
good start as they held a 21-3 over the Buffalo Bills at halftime. However, the
Raiders defense would suffer a second half letdown, allowing five touchdowns as
the Bills charged back to win the game 38-35. The Raiders would make their home
debut against the New York Jets in Week 3, and turned to Darren McFadden again.
With the Jets leading 17-7 in the second quarter McFadden had a 70 yard Touchdown
run that awoke the Black Hole. The Raiders would go on to win the game 34-24,
with Run DMc caring the ball 19 times for 171 yards and two Touchdowns. Following
a 31-19 loss to the New England Patriots at the Coliseum, the Raiders
lost their patriarch, as Al Davis died at the age of 82 on October 8th. His only
son Mark Davis would assume the duties of running the Raiders. A day after, Davis'
passing, the Raiders had one of their most emotional wins in years beating
the Houston Texans on the road 25-20, as Michael Huff preserved the win with
an interception in the endzone in the game's final seconds. A week later the Raiders
would return home, and improve to 4-2 with a 24-17 win over the Cleveland
Browns, as Darren McFadden had another strong game, while Jacoby Ford rocked the
house with a 101 yard kickoff return. However, the Raiders suffered a major
blow as QB Jason Campbell suffered a broken collarbone and was lost for the rest
of the season. With the loss of Jason Campbell, the Raiders were desperate and
made a deal with the Cincinnati Bengals to get holdout Quarterback Carson Palmer,
for the 2012 first round pick and a conditional 2013 pick that would be either
in the first or second round. Palmer would start right away and was clearly
rusty in his first start as the Raiders were blanked at home by the Kansas City
Chiefs 28-0. In the game Palmer, completed just eight passes for 116 yards and
had three interceptions. Making matters worse, RB Darren McFadden suffered lisanc
fracture in his foot and would miss the rest of the season. Before the injury
McFadden was on his way to a big season rushing for 614 yards in six games
plus. The Raiders would have to adjust as they had a bye week after their loss
to the Chiefs. However, coming out of the bye Carson Palmer continued to struggle
as he was picked off three times in a 38-24 loss at home to the Broncos in
Week 9. With Michael Bush, picking up where Darren McFadden left off the Raiders
would get back on track the following week as they beat the San Diego Chargers
24-17 in a Thursday Night game on the road, Bush rushed for 157 yards, while
Carson Palmer passed for 299 yards with two touchdowns and just one interception.
With Bush and Palmer lead the way the Raiders earned a 27-21 win at home against
the Minnesota Vikings, as they picked off Christian Ponder three times. The
Raiders would get a third straight win the next week as their defense picked
off Caleb Hannie three times in a 25-20 win over the Chicago Bears at home, as
Seabastien Janikowski had a career high six Field Goals. Following back to back
losses on the road, the Raiders came home to face the Detroit Lions and suffered
their most frustrating loss of the season 28-27, as Matthew Stafford had four
touchdown passes including the game winner to Calvin Johnson with 43 seconds
left. The Raiders would have one last chance to win the game, but Janikowski's
attempt at a 65 yard Field Goal was blocked by Ndamukong Suh. At 7-7, the Raiders
who only a month earlier appeared to be heading for the postseason had stumbled
back into mediocrity. Playing an ugly defensive battle on the road, the Raider
would get back on track with a 16-13 win over the Chiefs in overtime. However,
with a chance to win the division in their final game of the season at home,
the Raiders again suffered a letdown, losing to the Chargers 38-26, as they had
their backs broken on a 105 yard kickoff return from Richard Goodman. Finishing
at 8-8, the Raiders would fire Hue Jackson after just one season, replacing
him with Dennis Allen.
2012: For the first time in 40 years the Raiders had a full time General Manager as Mark
Davis hired Reggie McKenzie to fill the role left behind by his father. McKenzie
made a coaching change right away as Dennis Allen was named the Raiders new
head man on the sidelines. Allen faced an immediate challenge as the Raiders long
line of bad contracts had placed them in Salary Cap Hell. The Dennis Allen
era would begin on Monday Night Football, with the Raiders suffering a 22-14 home
loss against the San Diego Chargers. Following a 35-13 loss on the road against
the Miami Dolphins, the Raiders were a big underdog going into a game at O.co
Coliseum against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, the Raiders would get their
first win of the season 34-31 with 13 unanswered points in the 4th Quarter,
including a game winning 43 yard Field Goal by Sebastien Janikowski. Following
a 37-6 blowout loss at the hands of the Denver Broncos, the Raiders nearly got
their second big upset of the season as they jumped out a 13-7 lead over the Atlanta
Falcons. However, a costly interception by Carson Palmer and a 55 yard Field
Goal by Matt Bryant combined to drop the Raiders to 1-4, as they lost the game
23-20. Returning home the Raiders would use a 4th Quarter rally to get their
second win of the season, as Carson Palmer tied the game on a one yard sneak,
while Sebastien Janikowski nailed the game winner in overtime from 40 yards out
as the Raiders beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 26-23. A week later the Raiders
would get the first road win of the season, as Jankiowski had four field goals
to lead the way in a 26-16 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The next six weeks
would bring nothing for the Raiders as they struggled on both sides of the ball
and clinched their tenth straight season out of the playoffs. The Raiders would
need to see the Chiefs again to get another win as Sebastien Jankiowski supplied
all the offense with five Field Goals in a 15-0 win at home. It marked the
first time since 2003 that the Raiders defense earned a shutout. It would also
be the final win of the season, as the Raiders dropped their final two games to
finish the season with an underwhelming record of 4-12. Three of the Raiders four
wins came against teams that had awful 2-14 records. Following the season the
Raiders would cut ties with Carson Palmer, as they managed just an 8-15 record
with him as their starting quarterback. 2013: Terrelle Pryor won the right to start the season at quarterback after outplaying
Matt Flynn in the preseason. Seeking to end a decade long drought of losing
seasons, the Raiders opened the season on the road against the Indianapolis
Colts. Pryor played strong in the opener rushing for 126 yards while tossing a
five yard touchdown pass to Denarius Moore to give the Raiders a 17-14 lead early
in the fourth quarter. However, the Colts would answer back as Pryor was intercepted
deep in Colts territory with 31 seconds left to win the game 21-17. In
their home opener, the Raiders would get 129 yards from Darren McFadden and four
field goals by Sebastian Jankiwoski to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 19-9. However,
a week later the Raiders would provide no match for the Denver Broncos
losing 37-21 on Monday Night Football. Matt Flynn would get the start in Week 4
and helped the Raiders build an early 14-0 lead over the Washington Redskins.
However, the Raiders offense would stall the rest of the way as the Redskins rallied
to win the game 24-14. Flynn who got the start due to a concussion suffered
by Terrelle Pryor would be demoted to third string quarterback and eventually
released. Pryor would return in Week 5 as the Raiders got an impromptu
Monday Night game against the San Diego Chargers. The game was moved to Monday
due to an Oakland Athletics playoff game. As the last NFL stadium that also housed
a baseball team, O.co Coliseum was the only stadium to face such a dilemma.
Terrelle Pryor played well in his return, as he passed for 227 yards with two
touchdowns as the Raiders beat the Chargers 27-17. However, games like that would
be a rarity for Pryor who more often than not struggled, as he threw three interceptions
in a 27-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6. Following their
bye week, Pryor showed what he can do with his legs, as he set a record for a
93 yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage against the Pittsburgh
Steelers at the Coliseum. It was the longest run in NFL history by a quarterback.
Pryor would only mage 88 passing yards in the game, but his tone setting run
was enough for the Raiders to win their third game of the season 21-18. A week
later the Raiders would suffer a humiliating 49-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Following a 24-20 loss to the New York Giants, the Raiders would start Rookie
Matt McGloin against the Houston Texans, the undrafted rookie played well
in his NFL debut passing for 197 yards with three touchdown passes as the Raiders
beat the Texans 28-23. It would be the final win the Raiders would enjoy during
the season, as they dropped their final six games and finished with a record
of 4-12. There were very few positives for the Silver and Black over the final
six weeks, as they were ranked among the worst offensive and defensive teams
in the league. 2014: After 11 years of losing football, the Oakland Raiders crumbling stadium began to
symbolize the state of the franchise. Three years are the passing of Al Davis
the Raiders who once had a commitment to excellence had looked directionless as
their roster was composed of unproven rookies and veteran castoffs. The only names
the average fans could identify were players who were passed their prime.
This included Charles Woodson an eight time Pro Bowler who returned to Oakland,
after seven successful years with the Green Bay Packers. The Raiders began the
season in the Meadowlands, facing the New York Jets. Derek Carr selected second
round with the 36th overall pick from Fresno State would start the season as
the Raiders quarterback after beating out Matt Flynn in the preseason. Carr would
lead the Raiders to an early scoring drive connecting with Rod Streeter on a
12 yard touchdown pass to give Oakland an early 7-3 lead. However, it would not
last as the Jets took over ad won the game 19-14, with Carr passing for 151 yards
with two touchdowns. Things would not go as well in the Raiders home opener,
as they were slammed by the Houston Texans 30-14. Heading back East, the Raiders
played solid defense, limiting the New England Patriots to 16 points, but
it was not enough as the Raiders offense only managed three Sebastien Janikowski
Field Goals. The Raiders went from New England to Old England in Week 4 as they
hosted the Miami Dolphins, at London's Wembley Stadium. The Raiders led early,
but were soon behind and blown off the field again, allowing 21 unanswered points
in the second quarter to lose the game 38-14. Before the Raiders even got
back to the states, Coach Dennis Allen was given the axe. In parts of three seasons
as Raiders coach, Allen complied a record of 8-28, including losses in his
final ten games. Tony Sparano would be the Raider interim coach the remainder
of the season. Returning home the Raiders came out strong in Sparano's first game
as coach, taking a 28-21 lead early in the fourth quarter as Derek Carr had
four touchdown passes. However, the San Diego Chargers scored the game's final
ten points and won the game 31-28, dropping the Raiders to 0-5. The losses continued
to mount in Oakland, as Carson Palmer led the Arizona Cardinals to a 24-13
win in Week 7. The Raiders would eventually reach 0-10, with most losses being
by double digits. Occasionally the Raiders would give good teams a hard time,
like a 30-24 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on the road, but most weeks they were
simply overmatched such as a 41-17 loss to the Denver Broncos, in which Peyton
Manning had five touchdown passes. The Raiders would finally end their 16 game
losing streak dating back one full calendar year on November 20th as they beat
the Kansas City Chiefs at O.co Coliseum 24-20. Helping the Raiders get control
of the game early was Latavius Murray who scored the first two touchdowns of
his career to give them a 14-0 lead, highlighted by a 90 yard run before exiting
the game with a concussion. After the Chiefs rallied to take the lead in the
fourth quarter, the Raiders answered with a nine yard touchdown pass from Derek
Carr to James Jones with 1:42 left. The Raiders nearly blew the game, celebrating
a third down sack of Alex Smith, but Justin Tuck alertly called timeout saving
the Raiders from being off-sides and only having nine active players on defense
at the same time. The joy of the win would be short lived as they suffered
a 52-0 beat down at the hands of the St. Louis Rams. Despite the loss, the Raiders
would play better over the last month winning two of their last four games,
including a 24-13 win over the San Francisco 49ers that ended a 13 game losing
streak to NFC teams, and marked the first time they won the battle of the bay
since 2000. The Raiders also spoiled the Buffalo Bills playoff hopes with a 26-24
upset win at home in Week 16 as they finished with a dreadful record of 3-13.

2015: It was another new beginning for the Oakland Raiders as Jack Del Rio took over the
coaching reigns. Meanwhile, talks of a return to Los Angeles picked up steam
as they formulated a plan to build a stadium with the San Diego Charges in Carson
as the O.Co Coliseum continued to crumble with no workable plan to build a new
stadium in Oakland in sight. The Raiders season did not get off to the best
of starts as they suffered a 33-13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. A week late
the Raiders would bounce back to beat the Baltimore Ravens 37-33 Derek Carr passed
for 351 yards with three touchdowns, including a game winning pass to Seth
Roberts with 30 seconds left in regulation. Carr was strong again in Week 3, passing
for 314 yards with two scores as they Raiders ended a 16-game losing streak
in the Eastern Time Zone by beating the Cleveland Browns 27-20. The Raiders
nearly made it two straight wins in the East, as they raced out to an early 14-6
lead over the Chicago Bears. However, the Bears would rally and win the game
22-20 on a 49-yard Field Goal by Robbie Gould with two seconds left in the game.
Returning home Charles Woodson picked off Peyton Manning twice, but Derek Carr's
fourth quarter interception returned 74 yards by Chris Harris is more costly,
allowing the Denver Broncos to beat the Raiders 16-10. Following the bye week
the Raiders looked refreshed as they scored on their first seven possessions,
with Sebastien Janikowski hitting three Field Goals and Derek Carr throwing three
touchdown passes jumped out to a 37-6 lead against the San Diego Chargers.
The Chargers would make things interesting in the end as they scored 23 unanswered
points in the fourth quarter, but the Raiders lead was big enough to stand
at 37-29. Derek Carr continued to impress in Week 8, passing for 333 yards with
four touchdowns, while Latavius Murray gained 113 yards on the ground to lead
the Raiders to a 34-20 win over the New York Jets at the Coliseum. Carr was on
the right track again a week later, passing for 301 yards with another four scores,
but it would not be enough as Ben Roethlisberger was just a little better
lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 38-35 win at Heinz Field. Returning home it was
too much Adrian Peterson, as the league's leading rushed gained 203 yards to
lead the Minnesota Vikings to a 30-14 win as they suffered a break breaking three
game losing streak. The Raiders got back on the winning track, with another
late score as Derek Carr connected with Seth Roberts to beat the Tennessee Titans
24-21 on a rainy afternoon in Nashville. The Raiders would alternate wins and
losses for the rest of the season, finishing with a record of 7-9. Among the
highlights a 15-12 win over the Broncos in Week 14 that ended their eight game
losing streak at Mile High. The Raiders win in Denver saw them rally in the second
half with 15 unanswered points as Khalil Mack tied a franchise record by sacking
Brock Osweiler five times, which included a safety. After beating the Chargers
in overtime 23-20 in the final home game of the season, Charles Woodson
addressed the crowd, saying his heart will always be in Oakland, as he ended an
18-year Hall of Fame Career that began and ended in Silver and Black. Among the
positives for the Raiders were a pair of second year players who had breakout
seasons as Latavius Murray rushed for 1,066 yards, while Derek Carr passed for
3,987 yards with 32 touchdowns and just 13 interceptions. Both players would
appear in the Pro Bowl along with receiver Amari Cooper who the Raiders selected
with the fourth overall pick and was good as advertised, with 1,070 yards
with six touchdowns.

Logo
1964-Present

57th Season
First Game Played: September 11, 1960Played in Los Angeles 1982-1994